Refrigerator door lock



1940- w. BOERNER 2.210229 REFRIGERATOR DOOR LOCK Filed March 10, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l L; Inventr f I I lQ/fer Foe/" er" q By Attorneys Patented Aug. 6, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE v 2,210,229 REFRIGERATOR DOOR LOCK Walter Boerner', Waring, Tex. Application March 10, 1938, Serial No. 195,146

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in door operators for refrigerators and has for its primary object to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, a novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts whereby a refrigerator door may be conveniently opened with one foot, thus leaving both hands free to be used for other purposes.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a refrigerator door operating means of the aforementioned character which will be comparatively simple in construction, strong, durable, highly emcient and reliable in use, compact and which may be manufactured at low cost.

All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of an embodiment of the invention, showing same installed on a refrigerator.

2 Figure 2 is a view in vertical section through the lock.

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view through the lock, taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

3 Figure 4 is a detail view in perspective of the door starter.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that the reference numeral l designates the cabinet of a refrigerator provided with a door 2. The door 2 is mounted on hinges 3 for swinging movement in a horizontal plane. The hinges 3 include springs 4 for swinging the door to open position after it has been started. On the free end of the door 2 is a suitable keeper 5.

Mounted on the refrigerator, adjacent the free end of the door, is a lock which is designated generally by the reference numeral 6. The lock 5 comprises a metallic casing l which is secured to the cabinet I. The casing I has formed therein upper and lower chambers 23 and 24, respectively, which communicate with each other through a slot in the partition 26 therebetween. Slidably mounted in the upper chamber 50 23 is a bolt 8 which is engageable in the keeper 5 for securing the door 2 in closed position. The bolt 8 is projected by a coil spring 9 in the chamber 23.

The lower surface of the bolt 8 is toothed, as

5 at H), the teeth traveling in the slot 25. Projecting inwardly from the outer wall of the casing I is a spindle or the like H in the lower chamber 24 on which a gear segment I2 is joumaled. The gear segment I2 is in mesh with the teeth ID on the bolt 8, as best seen in Fig. 2 5 of the drawings. The reference numeral l3 designates an arm on the gear segment I2 which projects from the casing I.

Also mounted on the cabinet I adjacent the free end of the door 2, and below the lock 6, is 10 a starter for said door which is designated generally by the reference numeral l4. As shown to advantage in Fig. 4 of the drawings, the starter l4 comprises a shaft l5 which is journalled in abearing l6 mounted on the cabinet I. Ex- 15 tending angularly from the ends of the shaft l5 are arms l1 and I8. On its free end, the arm 18 is provided with a foot H! which is engaged behind the free end portion of the refrigerator door 2.

20 Mounted for swinging movement in a vertical plane beneath the cabinet I is a foot lever 20. The arm I3 of the lock 6 is connected to the foot lever 20 for actuation thereby in a manner to retract the bolt 8 against the tension of the 25 spring 9 through the medium of a flexible element 2| in the form of a wire, cable, rope or the like. The arm ll of the starter H is also connected to the element 2|, as at 22, for actuation by the foot lever 20. 30

It is thought that the operation of the invention will be readily apparent-from a consideration of the foregoing. When it is desired to open the refrigerator door 2, the operator simply depresses the lever 20 with one foot for withdrawing the bolt 8 of the lock 6 from the keeper 5 against the tension of the spring 9, thus releasing said door. This operation also rocks the shaft l5 for swinging the arm l8 with the foot l9 thereon outwardly in a manner to 40 start the door. After the door has been thus started, said door is swung to open position by the springs 4 of the hinges 3.

It is believed that the many advantages of a refrigerator door operator constructed in accordance with the present invention will be readily understood and although a preferred embodiment of the device is as illustrated and described, it is to be understood that changes in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to which will fall within the scope of the invention as claimed:

What is claimed is:

A refrigerator door lock comprising a casing including a horizontal partition providing upper and lower chambers, said partition having a slot therein establishing communication between the chambers, said casing having an opening in one side edge thereof communicating with the upper chamber and another opening in the opposite side edge thereof communicating with the lower chamber, a spring projected bolt slidable in the upper chamber and adapted to be projected through the first opening,.teeth depending from said bolt and operable in the slot, 9. spindle projecting into the lower chamber from one of the walls of the casing, a gear segment Journalled on said spindle and engaged with the teeth in the slot for retracting the bolt, and an operating lever on said gear segment and extending through the second opening.

WALTER BOERNER. 

